Severe chest pain can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'life-threatening' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose severe chest pain, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Pulmonary Fibrosis | 94% | Confirm |
Possible Urgent Medical Need | 27% | Unlikely |
Cocaine Addiction | 5% | Ruled out |
If you experience chest pain, how would you rate its severity?
Possible responses:
→ Not applicable / don't know→ A minor sensation → Significant → Very significant → Severe, almost unbearable |
Cocaine induces a feeling of well-being by raising dopamine levels in the brain, but also increases blood pressure and causes blood vessels to contract. Sometimes the arteries feeding the heart go into spasm, causing the severe chest pains that make users go to hospital. If the spasms are particularly severe the patients may need drugs such as nitrates to force their vessels open and prevent a heart attack.